flippinout

I bought 10 of these reels over 4 years ago and love them! They've performed perfectly for me and I like the small size for palming. I do have a couple that the anti-backlash bearing is going out on but that is expected after several years of hard use. I also had to replace a couple thumbars but the folks at Pinnacle were extremely helpful and parts were promptly shipped. I'll never use another reel brand as long as Pinnacle is around.

The Alyssa is the same size as the Solene. I got two Alyssas for Christmas. The spool is cut deeper to make the room for extra line. I requested these reels on my wish list in order to hold enough 15lb line for C-rigs and swimbait fishing. I can throw an entire spool off my Solenes. Hope this helps.

How about I change this to read.....Tidal river help. CAn anyone help me now?

I recently move to the Florida panhandle from the Kentucky Lake area. Fishing is definitely different and I'm having trouble getting on the bass. I know we call it fishing but right now, I'm getting SKUNKED!!!! Can anyone give me any pointers on what to look for? I'm fishing the Blackwater and Choctawhatchee Rivers. They are pretty clear but have alot of tannic acid in them making them look like ice tea. The flow is slow to moderate. It seems like the banks drop almost straight down into 17-20 feet on the lower end. The river has lots of turns and there are numerous cuts, creeks and oxbows that enter the systems. The oxbows appear to be pretty shallow though. There is areas of dense hydrilla but mainly in the shallow cuts and oxbows. Some pads grow in the main river. There's plenty of lay downs and brush to target it doesn't seem to produce. I've used everything from cranks to soft plastics with no luck. I've caught 2 fishing in 12 outings....This is just unsatisfactory. Any help would be appreciated.

GABassHunter, What kind of lakes are you going to be fishing? Being from GA, if you plan to fish any of the "SWAMP" type lakes, you might be better off with an aluminum boat...They hold up to stump knockin' a little better. If you're fishing the larger northern lakes then a glass boat would be better for rough open water. I lived in South GA for a couple of years and spent alot of time in the swamps bass fishing. I watched a guy blast out of the ramp sitein a brand new rig only to be towed back by an ol' man in a 12' john boat after he hit a stump at full throttle. Just something to think about.

I've used several craws but the Zoom Big and Little Critter Craws have REALLY worked for me anywhere. I've fished them in TN, KY, GA, and TX. I T-rig and C-rig them with outstanding results but I use them for a pitching lure mostly. They get through heavy cover very easily with lighter weight. I've caught 6+ bass in all four states on these. Favorite colors are Watermelon red flake, Green Pumpkin and Black w/ Blue claws.

Yeah....it's not much fun here in Kentucky right now either. I haven't been fishing since mid September...first because of my little trip to Iraq and now because it so dang cold outside. GMan...Do you sell the baits that you make? Do you have a web site of a catalogue?

Don't forget to peg your t-rigs... I know...that's a no brainer but it took me a long time to figure that out. As for pegging...most people use tooth picks or rubber bands. I use the little rubber bobber stops that crappie fishermen use. I use the ones that are meant to be used on 8lb line. It is really snug on 20lb and keeps the weight on the nose of the plastic but when you set the hook, it slides up away from the fish's mouth. Another good thing is I don't get tooth picks stuck in a tungsten weight that costs $1.50 a piece.

I think noise only matters where noise doesn't usually occur. I worry more about unnatural shadows than I do the noise. I fish shallow water alot and if your shadow crosses a bed or an ambush spot...you can bet that fish will spook or get a bad case of lock-jaw.

I like to fish hydrilla and coon tail when I go home to Texas but on Lakes Barkley and Kentucky, I fish the buck brush alot. At least in the spring and early summer then try to find grass edges and riprap during the summer time.

I've tried for year to set up my 125 gallon tank with "local" fish. I wife would'nt go for it. She told me if I want to look at lake fish that I should go fishing. Well so I don't get to have bass, catfish and crappie in the tank but at least she doesn't care that I go fishing all the time. BTW... That 125 is for sale if anyone is interested. It has anything and everything except for fish. We've had the tank for 6 years and we've had it set up several different ways....South American Cichlids, African Cichlids, Saltwater. IF anyone is interested let me know.

riskkid, I know the area you are looking at to start your fishing out there. I lived out in Linton for a year. Speaking of which, the Linton ramp is a very short drive from where you live but it will get you into the calmer water near the TN/KY border without having to use a tank of gas in the boat. Are you planning to fish any tournaments in the future? I can show you a few spots on the lake to get you started. I'll look you up when I get back home.

There is a company that is mapping Lakes Barkley and Kentucky that is using side imaging in their map sets. Check out the website below for some imagery that the side imaging provides. He also talks about how it works. I'm thinking about that sytem on the front of my new boat as well. www.kentuckyhydrografx.com

riskkid, I fish Barkley and Kentucky alot as well. Barkley is easy to fish in a smaller boat if you stay in the southern (upstream) portion of the lake. Barkley becomes pretty wide once you get up past the 68/80 bridge and if the winds pick up a little can get pretty choppy. The rest of the lake stays pretty calm because it has alot of bends in it, breaking the wind. If you plan to fish near the dam or would like to fish Kentucky Lake too, I would suggest at the very least, an 18 footer like the Stratos 284. It'll cost more but will get you out on the water more comfortably. I would also power that boat up some. I'd recommend at least 75hp. I hope this helps some.

Man, you have one expensive flasher unit What is the screen quality like? It took me a while to learn how to use a finder as well. And I still have trouble trying to stay in a narrow creek channel or finding those subtle drops in deeper water that summer bass love in my home lake. That's why I'm interested in the 3D. Thanks

The Humminbird Matrix 47 3D isn't really all that expensive. The website below sells it for $499. THe only problem with that model is it isn't in color. The other one I looked at (can't remember the model) was $1400. I'm buying a boat this year and am thinking about getting the matrix 47 but want some info from anyone who has used them. Keep the posts coming guys. http://www.fishfinder-store.com/huma473d.html

I fish on Kentucky Lake alot. There is a lot of off shore structure that is hard to find if you don't know where to look. I have a feeling that the 3D sonar units would be pretty beneficial for trying to locate these structures but a I haven't seen many people in my area use them. Have any of you used say, the Humminbird 3D sonar units? What do you think about them? Are any of the other companies integrating this into their products? Any help on this would be great. Thanks

Before I talk about myself, let me say that you guys put a pretty good site together here. I look forward to becoming a life long member. I'm a native Texan but the military takes me too many places away from family and fishing. (Sometimes I'm not sure which order ;D). I'm currently a non-boater but looking real hard at my retirement gift. I've been bass fishing for about 10 years now but I'm definitely still a novice. As my call sign states, I like to flip shallow cover mostly. I really need to learn more skills if I'm going to make a life out of fishing in the next 7-8 years. Thanks for having me on the web site guys..and gals